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Version: 2026.05

Istari AI Chat

Istari AI Chat is a floating assistant you can open from any page to ask questions about your resources, models, and the platform. It is opt-in — turn it on from your application settings and a launcher button appears in the bottom-right corner of the app.

Enable Istari AI Chat​

  1. Click your avatar / name in the bottom of the sidebar.
  2. Select Application Settings.
  3. Under the experimental options, toggle Istari AI Chat on.
  4. A circular launcher button appears in the bottom-right corner of every page.

The toggle is per-user and is remembered in your browser. Turn it off the same way to hide the launcher.

If you don't see the launcher after enabling the toggle, the assistant may not be configured on your platform. Contact your administrator.

Open the chat window​

Click the launcher to open the chat window. The window:

  • Anchors to the bottom-right of the screen and floats over the page you're on.
  • Stays open while you navigate — you can keep chatting as you move between Files, Systems, and Jobs.
  • Closes when you click the X in the header. Closing does not clear your conversation for the current session.

Send a message​

The composer is at the bottom of the chat window:

  • Type your question in the textarea. It grows as you type, up to a maximum height before scrolling.
  • Press Enter to send.
  • Press Shift + Enter to insert a newline.
  • Click the send button (upward arrow) as an alternative to Enter.
  • The send button is disabled while the assistant is preparing a reply.

While the assistant is responding, a three-dot typing indicator appears in the transcript.

Suggestion chips​

When the chat opens, you may see one or more suggestion chips with example prompts. Click a chip to send its text as your message.

Reading replies​

  • Your messages appear as plain text on the right side of the transcript.
  • Assistant replies appear on the left and are rendered as Markdown, including headings, lists, code blocks, links, and tables (GitHub-flavored Markdown).

Errors​

If the assistant cannot answer a request, an inline error bubble appears in the transcript with the reason returned by the platform. Your original message stays visible above it so you can see what you asked and try a different prompt.

If the platform reports that the AI service is not configured, a single toast notification appears and the launcher hides for the rest of your session. Refresh the page or sign in again once an administrator has configured the service.

Conversation history​

The transcript is kept in memory only for your current browser tab:

  • Closing and reopening the chat window during the same session preserves the conversation.
  • Refreshing the page or signing out clears the transcript.

There is no server-side history of your chats and no way to export or share a transcript from the UI.

Privacy and limits​

  • Messages you send are processed by the AI service configured for your platform by your administrator. Treat the chat the same way you would any other tool that handles your data — avoid pasting information you wouldn't otherwise enter into the platform.
  • The assistant's behavior, available tools, and knowledge are determined by the backend configuration. If you need different capabilities, talk to your administrator.
  • Settings — manage application preferences, including the Istari AI Chat toggle.